State Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, looks at the voting board after she was named an HB1 House conferee on May 6, 2011.
Bob Daemmrich

Days after New York's attorney general declared daily fantasy sports sites to be illegal gambling, a Texas lawmaker has asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in on whether websites such as DraftKings.com and FanDuel.com are legal in Texas.

State Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, sent a request to Paxton Thursday asking him about the two leading fantasy sports sites, in which participants pay entry fees to assemble fantasy teams using real athletes. Both sites have faced charges that they are no different from other online gambling sites that are already deemed illegal in most of the country. Supporters have argued that the sites oversee games that involve more skill than luck.

Along with asking about the legality of the sites, Crownover also raised a broader question about the legality of fantasy sports betting, asking Paxton to rule on whether it's "legal to participate in fantasy sports leagues where the house does not take a 'rake' and the participants only wager amongst themselves."

Both DraftKings and FanDuel are currently fighting shutdown orders in New York. The sites have also been declared illegal in Iowa, Louisiana, Washington State, Arizona and Montana, according to the New York Times.

Like this story?

Comment Policy

The Texas Tribune is pleased to provide the opportunity for you to share your observations about this story. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask that you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or wandering away from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of the Tribune, and your user name will be displayed. Thanks for taking time to offer your thoughts.